


End of the Line

by MelodicDaemon



Series: You're Safe with Me Because of Me [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Angst, Arrest, Blood, Blood and Violence, Fake Character Death, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Police, light fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:35:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21772303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodicDaemon/pseuds/MelodicDaemon
Summary: When Oz finally stumbles into trouble Dante can't get him out of, they have to figure out a way to mislead the consequences.(Note: This is dubious/second tier canon. Some things that happen in it are what does end up happening, other things aren't. Mostly because this is kind of an ending to their story, but I didn't actually plan for it to be.
Relationships: Dante Morgan/Oz Meyers, Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: You're Safe with Me Because of Me [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569079





	1. Bad Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Oz gets himself into trouble.

It was another bad day for Oz. He had been on the morning shift at work and was getting frustrated with customers left and right. Thankfully he stayed calm and in control but his boss told him to skip his afternoon shift and go home. Oz wouldn't have minded working more, it was a nice distraction for him. But his boss telling him to go home just rubbed him the wrong way because he  _ couldn’t _ talk back and he didn't want to try and insist he should work.

Now he was just walking home since he wasn't going to be working and his boss probably wouldn't let him. He decided to take the long way around so he could stop by the store and get some stuff to make dinner tonight. He had planned to stop later with Dante but he wouldn't be off work for at least another hour, so he decided to just go alone and text Dante where he was going.

As he walked, he had his eyes trained on the ground, hands shoved in his pockets. He didn’t need to look directly in front of him, just see the ground where he was stepping to make sure he didn’t run into things or people. He stepped around people as he walked, heading straight for the store. It actually wasn’t too bad. For being a busy outdoor mall, it wasn’t too crowded. He might actually be able to get in the store, get what he needs and get home without much hassle, and wouldn’t that be nice.

And of course luck would just have it that he wouldn’t be able to just fly on by without having to deal with anyone.

As he got closer to the store, he noticed a small group of people crowded outside the front, swarming about in an almost circle, loud shouts coming from them. As Oz walked by and tried to keep his head down the group started moving in his direction and soon he was stuck trying to get through people. Just great.

As Oz tried to worm by someone, they shouted at him and shoved him. Oz growled softly and shouldered the person aside. But as he was just about to get away, he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt. In a second, Oz was turned around to face the person who grabbed him, hand at their throat and free hand going to hit them in the gut. They tried to curl up while also trying to get his hands off their throat. 

Oz forced them back into the wall of the store, his hands tightening around their throat as he just glared at them. He almost lost his grip as they squirmed. No one seemed to notice the person’s struggle, as they tried to kick oz , doing anything to try and make him let them go. But as they struggled to breathe, their kicks, which weren’t very strong to begin with, got weaker.

He was so focused on them and keeping his grip tight that he hadn’t heard the police sirens approaching. He didn’t even notice the other people fleeing. He was too focused on the person in front of them to even pay attention to the world around him.

It wasn’t until someone grabbed Oz’s arm and tried to pull him off the person that he heard the sirens. As the realization of what was happening hit him, he started to panic. He let go of the person in front of him, and backing away, bumping into the person that had just tried to pull him off. The person Oz was choking collapsed to the floor gasping for air as they laid there. Oz stared at them, his eyes wide with fear as he realized just what he’d done. And the fact that the police had gotten there and seen him almost kill a person just made everything worse.

Oz slowly sunk to the floor as he realized that he was probably going to be arrested because he almost killed someone and others  _ saw _ . Tears started to roll down his cheeks as his mind ran a mile a minute, thinking of everything that could and was probably going to happen. He’s going to get arrested, Dante’s going to be upset with him, Oz won’t get to see Dante. They’re going to arrest him for Veronica’s murder because they finally have him in custody.

When the police told him to put his hands up, he slowly raised them. Oz flinched when he felt the handcuff tighten around one of his wrists. He just stared ahead at the person who had grabbed him as the officer read him his rights. A scowl formed on Oz’s face as he realized that it’s  _ their  _ fault he’s being arrested. Had they not grabbed him he wouldn't have attacked them. He wouldn’t be here getting arrested.

Everything between being cuffed and arriving at the station was a blur as all he could focus on was his anger towards the person who pulled him into the fight and the fear of what would happen to him. 

He vaguely remembered being forced to walk to a police car, some talking from the police, then there they were at the station. And there was Dante. Why was Dante there? He shouldn’t be here. He should be at the lab. Oh god. He saw Oz in handcuffs being taken to one of the holding cells. Oz felt the tears start to form again as he looked down at the floor away from Dante. He couldn’t look at Dante, he  _ knew _ he was disappointed. He was stupid and got himself in trouble.

As he sat in the cell curled up on the floor by the door, he rubbed at his wrists quietly and hit his head back against the bars repeatedly. Why did he let himself get into a fight? He’s going to go to jail. They’re going to put together that he killed Veronica. He was screwed.

“You’re going to hurt yourself doing that, love.”

Oz jumped at the sound of Dante’s voice, scrambling to get up and turn to look at where his voice came from. For a second he smiled, but then it disappeared completely when he remembered where he was and that Dante was probably very upset with him. When Dante was close enough for Oz to reach, he grabbed for his hands and pulled them close as he mumbled out sorries to him.

Dante sighed and pulled a hand away to cup Oz’s cheek as he spoke softly, “It’s fine, Ozzy. You’re fine. You don’t have to apologize. Just tell me what happened.”

Quietly, Oz explained what had happened earlier, Dante just nodding quietly as he listened. They stood there for a bit, talking quietly so others couldn’t hear. But it wasn’t long before a police officer coming to get someone else saw them and made Dante leave, much to the disappointment of Oz.

* * *

It was just over a day later that they learned what Oz’s bail would be. When Dante found out that it was just over five hundred thousand dollars, he was glad he had been setting aside money for bail in case either of them ever got caught. They were also lucky Oz was even getting bail because he had been dragged into a fight. Had the fight not happened out in front of the store he probably wouldn’t even be allowed bail.

They walked quietly for the first few blocks before Dante finally broke the silence. “They might try to pin Veronica’s death on you. I don’t think they’ll be able to, but you were her boyfriend and they just learned you can be violent,” he said softly, making sure no one heard them.

Oz tensed up when he heard Veronica’s name. It had been almost three years since that day and it hadn’t been brought up to him in a long time. He even finally got past worrying that they were going to charge him with her death. “Do you think they could convict me?” he asked softly as his grip on Dante’s hand tightened.

“With the evidence they have. There’s a high chance they couldn’t convince a jury. But there’s a low chance that a jury seeing you as aggressive might just persuade them,” Dante said as he gently rubbed circles over Oz’s knuckles with his thumb. When Dante glanced at Oz and saw just how worried he looked, he stopped walking and turned Oz to face him. “Don’t worry. I’m going to find a way to get you out of this. Just trust me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Oz said softly as he nodded. He let go of Dante’s hand and moved to hug him.

Dante returning the hug and gently rubbing Oz’s back before pulling away, “Now let’s get home.” Oz nodded again and grabbed Dante’s hand as they started to walk again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have a better idea for a main title, let me know.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated. Critiques are also fine!  
> Wanna chat? Feel free to message me on tumblr @ MothDaemon or check out my art on tumblr @ MelodicDaemon.


	2. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dante comes up with a plan and starts getting everything ready for it.

Dante didn't have long to think about how to get Oz out of going to court. He had no way to change any of the evidence. He couldn't claim that Oz wasn't violent - he could but it probably wouldn't hold any weight considering he almost killed a person. Avoiding court would just allow for them to put out a search. He needed to turn the police’s attention away from him. 

He sat on the couch thinking out loud, the news on in the background as he jotted down different ideas in a notebook. He was up later than he normally was, but they were running out of time and he needed to come up with something to get Oz out of this before they could take him away. It was only a month before the trial and it was only a matter of time before they started finding ways to pin Veronica’s death on Oz.

When the couch shifted, Dante snapped out of his thoughts—he hadn’t even realized he was zoning out. He looked to see Oz sitting next to him, his eyes focused on the notebook in Dante’s lap. Oz softly mumbled as he read out the different ideas Dante had written. Dante glanced back at his notebook before looking at Oz. “Couldn't sleep?” he asked, leaning over to kiss Oz on the cheek. 

Oz shook his head as he started to bite his knuckle. He glanced up from the notebook to look at Dante before resting his head on his shoulder as he stopped biting his finger. “I woke up after like an hour,” he said, stifling a yawn. 

Dante sighed as he closed the notebook and set it aside on the couch armrest. He adjusted how he sat so he could comfortably wrap an arm around Oz’s shoulders. “Don't worry. We’re going to get through this. I'm going to figure something out,” Dante said as he leaned back into the cushions and turned his attention to the TV. 

He was ready to let himself fall asleep as he sat there with Oz. While he'd prefer to be in bed, he didn't want to make Oz move. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Oz’s, relaxing a bit, letting the TV run quietly as background noise. 

Dante wouldn't sleep like this. He could try, but he'd always be half awake. It was a good thing he was half awake too, because not long after Oz had fallen asleep, the news reported a story that gave Dante an idea. “Search for missing man called off when he turned up dead.” 

“Dave Foster was reported missing about a month ago by his wife, Luanne. All trails had gone cold until last night when a park goer found a man washed up on the bank of Lake Balboa in Beilenson Park. While Mr. Foster’s cause of death is unknown we urge you all to be careful out there if you’re out alone.”

That was it. That was their ticket to getting the cops attention off of Oz. Fake his death. 

* * *

It was easy to get Oz to agree to the idea. Of course, he was hesitant at first, but he trusted Dante and was willing to do almost anything so he wouldn’t go to prison.

He wasn’t okay with having to get his blood drawn for it to work, but he didn’t want to be taken away from Dante. So he agreed to it.

The plan, as far as Oz knew, was to leave a lot of his blood in an alley and report him as missing so that it seemed like he was attacked and bled out, his body being disposed of in a sewer that goes out to sea. Since they couldn’t take enough at once to make it seem like he bled out they had to take a bit a few different times.

Aside from having to get his blood drawn, Oz didn’t have much to do for the plan. for the most part, Dante tried to get him to go out at least once a week so no one wonders why the one day he does go out after being released on bail he ends up dead.

Then it was just up to Dante to plant the blood and a few others things to make it seem like Oz was killed. He also had to take care of the part of the plan Oz didn't know. Which was that Dante was going to throw a body into the sewer. That way, if anyone did go looking, they would find something. 

Dante decided to put one of the criminals he was keeping tabs on to good use. He was going to grab this guy that was just younger than Oz but had about the same build. He had no family in the area and no one he kept regular contact with. This guy was a loner, just what Dante needed. No one to miss him. No one to identify him and ruin the plan. He wasn't the worst Dante had dealt with, stealing from people and killing whoever happened to be home, but he was still cruel and no one would think to identify him as the burglar.

While the guy always killed those he took from if they were home, he was definitely not a good fighter. He always had surprise on his side. But this time, with Dante surprising him, he went down with ease. No doubt a coward. If even one of the people he robbed fought back, he probably would have been apprehended already. Though this made Dante’s job easier.

He grabbed the guy the day before they were going to plant everything. He would have waited for the day of, but because he needed to drain the blood so they couldn't pull DNA from that, he needed time and privacy that a public place like an alley wouldn’t provide. He took him to a secluded area in a junkyard, using one of the empty trailers that was marked to be destroyed within the week to work. He tried his best to keep the blood contained to a bucket so it would be easier to dispose of, and whatever didn't fall into the bucket at least fell onto the tarp. As far as Oz knew, he was out at the store and wouldn’t be home until late.

As soon as he was done draining the guy’s blood, he dismembered his hands and feet, mutilated his face, and slashed up his chest. While the guy had a similar build to Oz, if they checked his finger prints, they'd know it wasn't him. Dante just had to be cautious. If one thing went wrong with this plan, they would know Oz is alive, they would put a search out for him, and he would be caught. It's not like he wasn't already cautious and meticulous, but this plan was a lot more risky.

It was late when he finished. He shoved the guy’s corpse into the duffle bag he brought along, folding the tarp and putting it in with him. He shoved the hands and feet into his backpack so he could take them to get burned later.

As for the bucket, he stepped out to one of the nearby sewer covers, grabbing a piece of scrap metal to pry it open. Once he was sure there was rushing water under it, he dumped the contents of the bucket before replacing the cover. As soon as he was done with that, he left the bucket in one of the cars that was going to be crushed the following day. 

After double checking that everything was taken care of, he finally started on his way home, glad that for once he decided to drive.

* * *

When Dante returned home, he found Oz asleep on the couch, the TV running quietly. Normally Oz only did that when he was tired, worried, and Dante wasn't home. It made sense for him to be worried this time of course, but this habit was slightly annoying since Dante didn't like sleeping alone after having Oz around for so long. He had gotten used to Oz being in bed with him, that now if he wasn't, Dante could barely sleep.

He sighed as he put his bags in the closet, before going to pick Oz up bridal style. Oz grumbled as he was moved, turning to bury his face in Dante’s chest. Dante shifted him slightly so he had a better grip before carrying him to their room. He set him down and went to go change, putting the clothes he had on under his jacket into the wash so Oz wouldn’t see any blood if Dante had gotten a bit messy. He tried his best to not get it on his clothes, but even planning as much as he did, there could be small mistakes.

After showering, Dante went to lay down with Oz, only to be surprised when Oz spoke up. “You’re back late,” he said, stifling a yawn as he shifted to be closer to Dante, wrapping an arm around him.

“Sorry I woke you, darling,” Dante said as he moved to press a quick kiss to Oz’s nose.

That made Oz light up, a tired smile spreading across his face, “It’s fine. Did you get everything you needed?”

“Yes.” Before Oz could ask any more questions, Dante kissed him again, this time on lips, cutting him off. “Go back to sleep, tomorrow we need to set everything up. If you’re tired something might get messed up.”

Oz grumbled out an ‘alright’ before pulling Dante closer and closing his eyes. He laid there quietly, his breathe eventually evening out as he drifted off.

Dante sighed as he let himself relax. Soon Oz would be safe and they wouldn’t have to worry anymore. But right now, he needed him to do exactly what he said and that doesn’t always settle with Oz well, so he was risking a lot trying to control this situation. But it was a risk worth taking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated. Critiques are also fine!  
> Wanna chat? Feel free to message me on tumblr @ MothDaemon or check out my art on tumblr @ MelodicDaemon.


	3. The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it is finally the day to put the plan into action.

It was the day. After a month and a few days of planning, Dante and Oz were finally going to plant the false evidence that would convince people that Oz was dead.

And Oz was definitely worried. He paced about the living room, biting at his thumb as he walked from wall to wall. He woke up not long after Dante, a rare occurrence as he was usually up first.

Dante had gotten up first because he had to get everything ready. He needed to make sure he had everything and a bit more in case anything went wrong. 

Oz was still pacing by the time Dante finished. He had been biting at his thumb long enough that it started to bleed. When Dante saw that, he approached Oz and stopped a foot in front of him. He gently grabbed Oz’s hands, pulling the one near his mouth away. He interlocked their fingers and moved to try and look Oz in the eye. “Have you eaten?” Dante asked, trying to get his attention off the plan so he would calm down.

When Dante grabbed his hands, Oz had stopped moving and turned to look him in the eyes. “No, not yet,” he said, starting to slouch as some of the tension seemed to disperse. He cast a glance down to their hands, a soft sigh escaping him.

“You should before you forget,” Dante said as he gently started to run his thumbs over Oz’s knuckles. “Skipping meals isn't good for you.”

“I know,” Oz grumbled as he looked up again. A smile started forming on his face as he stared at Dante, the bit of worry that was still evident on his face fading away. He pressed a quick kiss to Dante’s cheek before pulling his hands away and heading for the kitchen. Oz would no doubt start worrying about it again, but as long as Dante could keep him calm, they’d be fine.

As soon as Oz was finished eating, Dante explained what he had to do. He wanted Oz go to the store and pick up a few small things so others would see him out and about. They could use the groceries as props, dropping the bag and kicking it to make it seem like there was a struggle. He also made sure Oz knew to meet him in one of the alleys that was a shortcut back to their place. The alley wasn't a busy one so Dante would have plenty of time, but they did have to be careful. 

He also had to make sure Oz knew if anyone asked what he was doing this weekend, he had to say he was going to be watching movies with Dante. Just make it seem like he was going about his life as normally as he could. He made Oz repeat what he told him at least six times just to make sure Oz knew exactly what he was supposed to do.

* * *

While Oz was at the grocery store, Dante started planting the evidence. More specifically, the body. He had to be quick about it because he couldn't let Oz see him with it. 

He dragged the corpse to the sewer entrance, forcing the cover off and dropping it down. He grabbed gloves and the container that they stored Oz’s blood in from his backpack, making sure the hands and feet of the dead man were tucked under a plastic bag. He meant to get rid of them this morning, but he didn't have time to since he was dealing with Oz. He really loved the other man, but sometimes he messed up Dante’s plans unintentionally. Dante knew that would happen when he allowed Oz into his life, but he was willing to deal with it. 

Carefully, he climbed down into the sewer and started to work on spreading a bit of the blood on the wounds and along the sewer floor to make it seem like Oz was thrown down there and shoved into the rushing sewer water. As soon as he was done spreading the blood on the body, he shoved it into the water so it would go out to sea. He climbed out of the sewer, planning to go back in to put any left over blood down there if there was any left over.

As time passed, he was starting to wonder just where Oz was.

It wasn’t that Dante didn’t trust Oz to do what he needed to do… He just didn’t want Oz to risk messing it up as there was quite a bit on the line.

Instead of just waiting for Oz to get there, he started spreading the last of the blood on the cement of the alleyway. He might as well get it done sooner rather than later so he didn’t risk someone coming down the alleyway.

Dante froze when he heard footsteps, quickly moving to check around the corner to see who was coming. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Oz. He stepped away from the wall and got back to work.

When Oz came around the corner and saw Dante, he tensed up, being caught off guard by the blood. When he remembered  _ what _ they were doing, he took a deep breath and sighed, slowly relaxing.

“Hey,” he said softly. He carefully approached Dante, avoiding stepping in the blood that was already spread on the floor, “Do you need me to help at all?”

“No, I got it. You need to put on the jacket and jeans I have in that bag. We don't need anyone recognizing you because of your clothes,” he said, glancing up at Oz and smiling with a small shake of his head before getting right back to work. “Once you've changed, stay here and out of sight until I'm done.” Dante turned to climb back down into the sewer to spread the last of the blood while Oz moved to pull the clothes on over his.

When he finished, he sat on the ground just out of sight of any entrances to the alley. He noticed Dante brought along his backpack and he couldn’t help but be curious as to why Dante brought it, he had the duffle bag which had the clothes. Why did he need both bags?

He tried to ignore the thought as he waited. Last time he looked through any of Dante’s bags without being told he could, Dante seemed to be on edge for a few weeks, keeping his backpack and other things always in his sight. Oz found it odd, but he also didn't mind. He shouldn't have invaded Dante’s privacy by looking. He didn’t remember what Dante had in the bag, but he remembered Dante telling him not to do that again because if he had a surprise for Oz, Oz would have spoiled it for himself and where’s the fun in that.

Thankfully, Dante came back up a minute later and walked over to him. He took the gloves off, turning them inside out. He grabbed his backpack and shoved them into the front pocket before pulling it over his shoulder. Oz almost asked about it, but Dante turned away from him before he could.

Oz watched as Dante pulled his jacket sleeve over his hand and took the bag of groceries Oz had brought along. He dumped its contents onto the floor so it looked like Oz dropped them when he was attacked. 

Oz just watched quietly until Dante turned to him and offered him a hand up. Dante started down the alleyway, talking quietly as he instructed Oz on the last things they needed to do. “When we get to the last turn, I want you to wait there for a few. I'm going to go home, I want you to go down a few houses and go to the back and make your way home from there. If you go in through the front, and someone sees you, it might tip people off. Okay?”

“Okay,” Oz said, nodding, “Go down a few blocks and head in through the back. And don't let anyone see me.” He knew to repeat the instructions so that way Dante could correct him if he needed to. When Dante didn't, Oz smiled, being kind of proud that he was able to get the gist of what he was supposed to do right away. It wasn’t often that he got it first try with no clarification needed.

Dante pressed a kiss to Oz’s cheek. “Correct,” he said, smiling at how happy that seemed to make Oz, as well as being glad that he was able to get it right right away. He zipped up the duffle bag after dropping the container into it and slung it over his shoulder. He started walking down the alley, walking slowly so Oz could walk next to him.

Once they were at the last part to the alley, Dante stopped him. “Remember,” he said, making sure Oz was paying attention, before continuing, “wait, then go around.” He couldn't have Oz messing this up or what they did would be fruitless. 

Oz nodded again, a soft giggle coming from him as Dante pressed a quick kiss to his lips. After Dante pulled away, he sat down and smiled up at him to try and reassure him. Dante couldn't help but return the smile before starting out of the alley. He was going to throw people off by going to the gas station down the street before heading home. That would also give Oz a bit of time to go down a few blocks and not make Dante wait as long. 

* * *

Once Dante was home, it was only a few more minutes before Oz was at the back door, the hood of the jacket pulled up. Dante sighed with relief, going to let him in. He smiled at him as he offered a small bit of praise, “Good job, love. Now we just wait until tonight, then I'll call in and say you're missing.”

He had moved away from Oz so he could take off his own jacket and put his backpack away, but when he glanced back at him, he could tell Oz was uneasy. It wasn’t a surprise, of course, Oz wasn’t used to doing stuff like this. And after he got over the joy of being praised, he’d start to worry. There was a lot at risk and that would no doubt be on Oz’s mind. He was still standing at the back door, gripping his arm and gently rubbing his thumb over the fabric of the jacket as he stared at the floor.

“Why don't you go get into more comfortable clothes then we can watch some movies until then,” Dante suggested, moving closer and tilting his head sideways and leaning forward so he could look up at Oz’s eyes.

When Oz noticed, he looked up and let out a soft hum of acknowledgement. He tried to smile so he didn’t seem as uneasy, but they both knew Dante could see through it. “I’m gonna take a quick shower,” he muttered, his voice just barely audible.

After Oz shuffled out of the room, leaving the jacket on the back of the couch, Dante went to the kitchen to make them both something for dinner since Oz’s “quick” showers were actually a bit long. But that was alright, they had quite a bit of time to kill before Dante needed to make the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated. Critiques are also fine!  
> Wanna chat? Feel free to message me on tumblr @ MothDaemon or check out my art on tumblr @ MelodicDaemon.


	4. Leaving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dante finally gets Oz to agree to leave.

“Ozzy, we need to move,” Dante said, one arm crossed over his chest, the other rubbing his temple. He was trying to get Oz to start packing, having just finished explaining that they needed to move. 

The plan had worked, the police found the corpse about a week after Dante reported Oz as missing. Oz had stayed home for the following weeks, but he was getting antsy and Dante could see that. It didn't help that he had to take Oz’s phone so the man didn't contact a former friend and blow it—he should have thrown Oz’s phone into the sewer too.

“I don't want to. I have friends and family here,” Oz said, his own arms crossed over his chest as he glared up at Dante with a pout. He sat on their bed with his legs crossed, almost like a child who didn't want to go with their parent to the store. “I like my job. I like it here.”

Dante sighed as he walked over and sat down by him. “I've told you, you can't see them ever again. They need to think you're dead. If they don't, the police will come and get you.”

“I don't want to leave, Dante,” Oz said with a frown as he left himself fall over so he was leaning into Dante. 

“I know you don't, but you don't want to have to stay inside for the rest of your life, do you?” Dante asked as he wrapped his arms around Oz. He ran a hand through his hair as he leaned over to look down at him. When Oz sighed and shook his head, Dante smiled softly. “We’ll find somewhere nice. You can get a new job in a music store. Maybe we can get a dog or two,” he said trying to cheer up the man in his arms.

And at the mention of dogs, Oz seemed to smile, “Can we get a german shepherd?”

Dante let out a laugh at how easily Oz brightened up at just the idea of getting a dog, “Sure.” Dante pressed a kiss to Oz’s forehead before letting the older man go so he could get up. He stretched before looking back to Oz, “I’m going to start packing, try to pack as much as you can tonight, I have boxes out in the hall closet. I want to try and leave in the next couple of days so you don't have to stay cooped up inside much longer.”

“Okay,” Oz sighed and nodded before getting off the bed.

Dante had turned in his two weeks notice almost two weeks ago, citing the loss of Oz as his reason for leaving, planning to move away to get away from it. Dante was glad Oz gave into the moving idea because if he refused, Dante was going to have to make him. He didn't want to force him, but he knew it would be better for Oz—for both of them—in the long run. He knew Oz was probably going to put up more of a fight later on, but for now he agreed and for now that's all that mattered.

* * *

Dante returned from his last day of work to find Oz curled up on the couch, a pillow hugged to his chest and a blanket pulled over himself, looking all pouty as he stared at the Switch’s screen. He didn't have to ask to know why he was like this, but he wasn’t going to point it out either. “Everything packed?” Dante asked as he set down his backpack and shed his jacket, dropping it on top of the bag.

Oz glanced up from the Switch and nodded. The TV had been packed up, the bed frame dismantled, all the silverware in the kitchen packed away, all ready to be loaded up onto a trailer Dante had rented so they can move it themselves. 

“Do we really have to go?” Oz asked as he sat up, leaving the pillow on the couch, the blanket falling into his lap. He set the game console down as he stared up at Dante. 

Dante sighed, “Yes, Ozzy. It’s for your safety. For  _ our  _ safety.” Dante slowly approached Oz, his arms crossed over his chest, as he raised an eyebrow. “Unless you really want to go to prison? I could let people know you’re here.”

Oz’s eyes went wide at the mention of prison. He shook his head as he moved to get up. “No, no. I don’t want to. I don’t-” he stopped himself and took a deep breath, making himself calm down before he could get worked up. “I don’t want to go to prison,” he said slowly, “but I like it here.” He looked up at Dante, a frown on his face.

A small smile formed on Dante’s face as he watched Oz keep himself under control. He moved over to him and pulled him into a hug, Oz almost instantly relaxing into his touch. “I know, love,” he cooed as he gently rubbed Oz’s back, trying to reassure him. 

When Oz continued to slouch in Dante’s grip, he tried a different tactic. “Oz, do you really want to stay here? Where you’re no longer able to see your friends? Not able to go outside? Can’t go to music stores?” he reminded him, pulling away slightly so he could make Oz look him in the eyes.

Oz sighed as he moved to wrap his arms around Dante and hid his face in his neck, mumbling a soft, “No.”

“You trust me, don’t you?” He waited for Oz to nod before continuing, “Then trust me to find a place we’ll both like and where we can live happily together.”

Oz mumbled out an okay against the fabric of Dante’s shirt before pulling away and repeating himself so Dante could better hear him. He returned the smile when Dante started to smile. Dante knew it wasn’t genuine and that Oz was still hesitant, but they didn’t have a choice, they needed to leave.

* * *

Oz came back in to get more boxes, stopping to sit down on the armrest of the couch to take a breath. He stretched, letting the hood of the hoodie fall off his head as a yawn forced its way up. Dante followed not too far behind Oz, watching him quietly for a moment before leaning against the couch next to him. “Why don’t you go take a nap in the back of the car and I’ll finish loading the rest,” Dante said as he leaned over to press a kiss to Oz’s cheek.

A small smile formed on Oz’s face. “I’m fine. I can keep helping,” he said as he tried to stifle another yawn.

Dante choked back a laugh as he hugged him. “You’ve already been a big help. There’s only a few more boxes. It won’t take me long.”

Oz sighed and let out a reluctant ‘fine’ before getting up. He quickly pecked Dante on the cheek before putting the hood back up and heading out to the car.

Dante waited patiently for Oz to leave the house before heading back to the bedroom. He went into the closet and lightly lit the wall until one of the wood panels that lined the lower half of the small room popped off. He moved it out of the way before pulling the box of his tools out.

He double checked that everything in it was secure before closing it back up and taping it shut with a few layers of tape. He figured if Oz found it while unpacking, the extra tape would deter him from looking into it. If he asked about it Dante could just say it was an older box that had been falling apart and the tape was to hold it together.

He carried his box out on top of the last box, putting it into the trailer and locking it before going to lock the house. Dante had to stop by the landlady’s house to leave the key in the mailbox before they could leave. He had already talked to her about getting some of the months rent back. She had been very understanding when Dante told her about Oz’s passing. After that, they were home free. Dante had already looked into a few apartments and other places they could rent up in Oregon until they were properly settled in.

He settled down into the driver’s seat and let out a heavy sigh. He glanced back to check on Oz, seeing the older man curled up haphazardly on the back seats with a blanket pulled pretty much completely over himself with the exception of his head. He still had the hood pulled up to obscure his face in case anyone had walked by the car. He was glad Oz listened to him about trying to stay hidden. He was, however, surprised to see one of the seatbelts wrapped awkwardly around Oz’s waist and buckled in. He figured Oz did it so he wouldn’t have to wake him when he was ready to leave.

He waited for a few to see if Oz got up at all before finally turning back and starting the car. They had a long ride ahead of them, but at this point, they were probably ready for anything. Sure Oz would still complain about the move. He’d want to try and move back to Los Angeles no matter how many times Dante explained to him that they couldn’t. But he would adjust eventually. And as long as no one learned who Oz was, or what Dante did, they would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated. Critiques are also fine!  
> Wanna chat? Feel free to message me on tumblr @ MothDaemon or check out my art on tumblr @ MelodicDaemon.

**Author's Note:**

> This was initially finished on March 30, 2019 and has been updated and reuploaded.  
> Chapter 1 was finished on January 17, 2019  
> Chapter 2 was finished on January 27, 2019.  
> Chapter 3 was finished on February 24, 2019.  
> Chapter 4 was finished on March 30, 2019.


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